State grants administrative sanction for Parandur airport

CHENNAI: Ahead of the global Investors meet scheduled in January, the state government has given administrative sanction for the new greenfield airport in Parandur in Kancheepuram district. The 21-page order details the acquisition process of 1,500 hectares of patta land under the provisions of the Tamil Nadu Acquisition of Lands for Industrial Purposes Act, and alienation of around 800ha of government land in Parandur and 19 other villages in Kancheepuram and Sriperumbudur taluks.
In the wake of continuing protests by locals and concerns raised about the environmental impact given that the project site has tracts of lands under lakes, tanks and channels, the state government appointed a high-level committee led by a retired IAS officer, consisting of experts from IIT Madras, Anna University and stakeholder departments of macro-level hydrological study in April. A consultant has also been appointed to assist the committee.
"Regarding environmental factors and mitigation with respect to water bodies and watershed management in the project area, action will be taken as per the prevailing laws in force based on the recommendation of the high-level committee and it will be ensured that the additional storage capacity created is higher than the storage capacity affected due to the project," the order said.
An extent of 1,100 hectares of wetlands (nanjai) are covered under acquisition for which "inevitability certificates" have been issued by the revenue divisional officers of Sriperumbudur and Kancheepuram.
The air passenger traffic for Chennai region is expected to surpass 50 million by 2037. Chennai International Airport will reach its saturation by 2028. The government said the acquisition of land in the areas around the existing airport is highly complex and practically not possible due to the heavily urbanised nature of the adjoining areas. The AAI was requested to conduct a pre-feasibility study and carry out evaluation of the four identified potential sites, Thiruporur, Padalam, Pannur and Parandur.
"Based on the findings of the feasibility study carried out by the Airports Authority of India and further detailed analysis undertaken by the state government's Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation Limited (TIDCO), the Parandur site emerged as the most suitable site for development of greenfield airport," the order said.
Under the rehabilitation and resettlement matrix, the state has offered to each affected family housing units or equivalent cost of the house, choice of annuity or employment, subsistence grant of 3,000 per month for a year, transportation cost for shifting, 25,000 for construction of cattle shed/petty shop cost, 25,000 one-time grant to artisan, small traders, and certain others, 50,000 one-time resettlement allowance for every affected family.